


Tonight, We Are Young

by thekeyholder



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Childhood Friends, First Kiss, M/M, Prom, Time Travel Fix-It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-08-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26108050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekeyholder/pseuds/thekeyholder
Summary: Jim and Oswald were childhood friends, then drifted apart in high school. They find each other again as adults, and Jim learns that Oswald had an awful time at prom. He vows to do right by him, but doesn't expect to literally travel back in time.
Relationships: Oswald Cobblepot/Jim Gordon
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: Gobblepot Summer 2020





	Tonight, We Are Young

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my submission for the Gobblepot Summer event, hope you enjoy :)
> 
> Many thanks to Nekomata58919 for the beta.

"I know you prefer your drinks neat, but I think you're going to like this one," Oswald said as he handed Jim his drink. 

Jim held it up - it was a bright golden colour, so he suspected the base was his favourite whiskey which Oswald  _ always _ had available, but didn't know what it had been mixed with. The first sip instantly revealed the mysterious ingredient, which complimented the richness of the whiskey perfectly.

"Ginger ale?" he asked with raised eyebrows, the carbonated bubbles leaving tingles behind. 

"Yes, it's called a Highball. What do you think?" 

Jim watched Oswald sit in the armchair across him with a glass of the same drink, then turned his attention back to his own glass when Oswald's eyes settled on him. He watched the condensation run down the crystal markings at the base, a testament to the unusual hot spell reigning over Gotham. 

"It's really good. Especially in this weather," Jim declared and leaned his head back with closed eyes. Sometimes it was a bit frightening how Oswald anticipated his needs and wants before he even knew he had them. He had been spoiled, and Jim hardly knew the reason except that they were friends. Had been for many years. 

It couldn't be that Oswald wanted to keep him in his good graces - after all, he was the mayor and Jim a simple detective, so if anything, Jim was the one who had more to profit from this relationship. Oswald was a veritable fountain of information, even in his early days as personal assistant and then city council member, helping Jim with many of his cases. He usually didn't ask anything in exchange, but Jim knew his favourite bakery, so he would often drop a chocolate croissant in his office, Oswald thanking him with a shy smile as he tucked in before his first meeting of the day.

Sometimes, those morning croissants turned into dinners, at Oswald's place no less. Jim knew it was a privilege to be allowed into this private sphere. Despite his popularity, Oswald was rather introverted, and liked to keep to himself. His trust was difficult to win, but once a person had it, Oswald was loyal to them.

Jim turned his head towards Oswald, the golden light of the late afternoon hitting him just right. Jim was no stranger to the flutter in his chest, the flood of warmth. He had never dared to act on it, though, fearing that moments like this would be taken away forever from him. Oswald turned his head towards Jim too, and they broke out in a smile at the same time. Jim had a hard time looking away from the way Oswald's eyes crinkled.

"How did we become friends?" Jim asked, swirling his drink. "It feels like we've always known each other."

Oswald closed his eyes. "Mrs. Sanderson's class, sixth grade. I was the new kid."

Jim recalled Oswald shuffling to his desk, asking almost inaudibly if he could sit next to him. At first they didn't talk, but weeks later, Jim noticed Oswald's doodles in his notebooks. Actually, it was unfair to call them doodles - they were amazing drawings. 

"That's so cool!" Jim whispered, watching as Oswald shaded the scales on his dragon.

Oswald looked at him with surprise, but luckily didn’t try to hide it or cover it up. “Thanks. It’s Smaug from  _ The Hobbit _ .”

Jim nodded as if he knew who that was, and watched as Oswald added piles of coins and treasure around the dragon. “Where did he get all that gold?” Jim whispered when Mrs. Sanderson had turned her back to them.

“He stole it from the dwarves.”

Oswald turned a few pages back, then slid his notebook closer to Jim. There, the dragon was spitting fire over a city built inside a mountain. Jim was amazed, he wanted to hear more. “What happened to the dwarves?”

“Is there anything you’d like to share with the class, James Gordon?” Mrs. Sanderson asked in a sharp voice.

“No, Mrs. Sanderson,” Jim replied and slinked back on his chair, his cheeks red.

Then a couple of days later, when Jim walked in, there was a book on his desk. It was a library copy of  _ The Hobbit _ , and Jim smiled at Oswald as the boy looked up at him from his notebook.

And that’s how their friendship had started. Jim would find Oswald in between classes and in lunch breaks, and they discussed the journey of Bilbo and the company of dwarves intent on regaining their home from the claws of the evil dragon. Oswald took Jim’s enthusiasm and reciprocated it, just as much, timidly at first, as if he couldn’t believe someone was finally sharing an interest of his, was having an interest  _ in him _ , but then they became thick as thieves.

Jim was aware, somewhere in the periphery of his mind, that other people didn’t see Oswald in the light he did. They thought he was the quiet kid in the corner, seemingly always ensconced in his own world, but weirdly always getting the best grades.Their friendship burned bright for a few years, until self-consciousness caught up with Jim. Jim had always had friends, in every class, many of them thanks to the hockey team, but when they were around sixteen, Jim realised that the divide between those friends and Oswald was insurmountable. 

It didn’t happen all at once; but slowly, gradually, Jim had distanced himself, left Oswald and his colourful fantasies of dragons and gold. He was joking around with his team mates, pretending he didn’t like books, just hockey, and even dated a cute girl or two. All this while trying to decipher from across the dining hall what book Oswald was currently reading, getting his hands on it, and then reading it before bed.

Jim Gordon had already started faking his life like an adult.

But now, here they were. After high school, they all went their separate ways; Jim enrolled at the Police Academy then the Army, and Oswald got a scholarship for probably all the schools he applied to, but attended the night courses in the local community college in Gotham in the end. Jim had no doubt it was so he could provide for his elderly mother.

They met when Jim was back from the war, on the steps of City Hall - Jim was supposed to drop off some documents before starting his new job at the police station.

“Jim, old friend! I heard you were back!” Oswald said as he shook his hand with a genuine smile.

“Oswald!” Jim had almost reached for a hug, starved for affection after having been shipped off for two years, but held himself back and instead just patted Oswald’s shoulder. “Where did you hear about my return?”

“Your mother plays bridge with mine every Wednesday.”

Jim laughed slightly, his eyes roaming all over Oswald, his suit and his sharp cheekbones, his new haircut. Jim really basked in the sight, and it was only when Oswald’s eyes dropped for a second that he noticed they were still holding hands.

“Sorry,” he said and chuckled, letting go of Oswald. “Um, how about we grab a coffee and catch up? I mean, unless you’re busy…”

He had definitely caught Oswald off guard, he could see that on his face. Jim had almost resigned himself to a no when Oswald broke out in a smile. “Yes, splendid idea. I know just the right place.”

And that was how, five years prior, their friendship was rekindled. It was as if they had never grown apart. When the threat of silence barely even shadowed their last word, Oswald would throw in a remark or question, and they were off, talking for hours on end. All those differences in school had disappeared, but the fluttering in Jim’s chest, the true reason that had scared him and made him take a step back from Oswald, was back that rainy day in the coffeeshop, and back now on the hottest afternoon in Gotham.

“It’s quite funny, I actually met Mrs. Sanderson a couple of days ago,” Oswald mused. “She’s unchanged, quizzed me on the periodic table like I was still one of her students.”

“Well, she always used to say that we had to know the answers even if she woke us up in the middle of the night.” Jim shook his head with a smile. “God, those days feel like they happened a lifetime ago.”

“Hmm, they do.” Oswald said with an inscrutable expression, though Jim thought he’d seen some tension settle in Oswald’s jaw.

“Sometimes I wonder what all those kids grew up to be.” Strangely, or maybe fortunately given his line of work, he hadn’t met the old gang since his return. “Do you remember the pranks Tommy used to pull? He was the best!”

“Not really, although perhaps some things better stay in the past.”

Jim furrowed his brows, confused. “Don’t you remember at prom, when he and Julie were named queen and king, and they somehow managed to swap their getups, so Tommy wore this glittery pink dress when Mr. Vega called them onstage?”

“No, James, I wasn’t there for that sparkling moment. I’m sure it was great.”

If Jim hadn’t noticed the bitter tone, he would have caught the eye roll. Jim raked his mind, but he couldn’t remember anything, though something must have happened. Did Oswald get sick just before prom and he couldn’t attend? Jim had vague memories, a rush of happy faces and laughter, and he thought he could see Oswald’s too among them, but maybe he had just imagined it.

“I thought you went to prom.”

Oswald’s face was expressionless. “I did, but I wasn’t given the chance to stay until the end.”

“What?!”

“Your friends,” and Oswald spat that word out, “locked me in a broom closet for the better part of an hour, and after they ‘accidentally’ dropped punch on my shirt, so excuse me if I don’t find Tommy’s pranks cute.”

Oswald got up to pour another drink for himself, careful to keep his back to Jim. The detective sat in his chair staring in front of himself, his stomach clenching. How did he miss these things? He thought he remembered seeing Oswald run out of the ballroom, but he hadn’t thought much of it back then. A wave of guilt washed over him, particularly that up until this moment he had looked back at prom fondly.

Jim got up from his armchair, and put his hand on Oswald’s shoulder carefully. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea that your prom was ruined. I wish I had known about it, I have no idea where I was.”

Oswald turned slightly, letting out a huff of air. “Probably dancing or smooching Jenny Washington in a dark corner.”

The tone struck Jim; yes, it was resentful, but a different emotion stood over it, one that very much sounded like jealousy. Could it be? It made him smile just a tiny bit, for Jim had a hard time even assigning a face to the name - she was a very fleeting presence in his life. And yet Oswald had said it quickly, as if it were something he pondered often, given it more weight than Jim ever had.

Jim’s thumb was stroking Oswald’s shoulder. “How about we get drunk and forget about all that crap? You’re the mayor now, so officially the coolest guy in the city.”

The sad look in Oswald’s eyes was replaced by a sheepish one. “I don’t know about that last part.”

“Well, I totally do.” Jim said and patted Oswald’s back, while promising to himself that he was going to make up for Oswald’s butched prom, whatever it took.

“Okay, let’s get hammered then.”

* * *

“Jim! Jim, wake up, you’re going to be late!”

Jim groaned into his pillow. He could stay in bed just a bit, surely his mom couldn’t be so cruel.

Suddenly, Jim opened his eyes. What was his mom doing in his apartment?! He sat up in his bed, frowning at the room. This wasn’t his bedroom. Well, it was, but it was his childhood one in his mom’s house. Jumping out of bed, Jim also felt different. Less achy maybe? Lighter? He rushed outside his room, expecting this to be a dream.

Someone punched his arm lightly. “Morning, princess. You should hurry up, ‘cause mom’s about to whoop your ass!”

Jim watched Roger, his older brother, cackle while running down the stairs, his confusion growing tenfold. He looked so young, and he didn’t have his beard? Jim furrowed his brows. What the hell was going on?

Himself, the door, the carpet under his bare soles all felt real, but the last thing he remembered was drinking and laughing with Oswald, so this had to be a dream. Following Roger, Jim hurried downstairs, a lump in his throat as he watched his mom cook and write in her agenda at the same time. It was a common image in his teens, as she juggled being a single mom and a store manager. She looked younger too, no grey hairs in sight.

“Jim, honey, you’re still in your pjs?” she exclaimed, then shook her head as she piled a plate with eggs and bacon. “Come and eat quickly, we need to leave in fifteen minutes.”

Jim sat at the kitchen table, watching everything with wide eyes. Based on what everyone looked like and the fact that Jim already had a scar from where he broke his left wrist, it had to be after his seventeenth birthday, so probably last year of high school. If this was a dream, it was incredibly elaborate and realistic, to the point where Roger did that annoying habit of ruffling Jim’s hair, then leaving with an evil cackle for his job at the downtown carshop.

Eating quickly, Jim decided to play along to this weird curveball from the universe, and see where this would lead him. After that, he ran upstairs and quickly dressed and brushed his teeth, taking his backpack from under his desk and hoping that everything was in there.

His mom drove him to school, so he managed to get there in time. Just before he left, his mom called his name.

“Honey, please don’t forget to ask Jenny what colour her dress is going to be, alright? We have to get a bowtie today, prom’s in two days.”

Jim opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

“You okay?”

“Yeah, yeah mom, just forgot about that whole thing.”

His mom shook her head, laughing. “Silly boy. See you later, alligator!”

“See you soon, racoon.” Jim murmured their signature reply automatically, watching his mom drive away while he had an epiphany. 

So this was what this whole mess was all about. Prom. He had said that he wanted to make it up for Oswald, but he never imagined he would be whisked back to his teen years.

“Yo, Jimster!” 

It was Sam, one of his best buddies, coming up his way and shaking his hand. He started talking about some show he saw last night, Jim humming as he scanned the yard for a mop of black hair. He had to remind himself that if this truly was high school, then Oswald wouldn’t be wearing a suit. 

Once at his locker, Jim had a look at the schedule taped on the door. Maths, double English, History and PE. He couldn’t remember whether he had Oswald in any of his classes. Jim punched his locker. How could he be so goddamn stupid?! It was like those years were a blur. His attention was suddenly drawn away from his self-flagellation to a figure clad in all black, walking at the far end of the corridor.

Jim was about to peel in that direction, but Sam stopped him. “Hey dude, we have Maths first. It’s that way.”

It felt like torture sitting in that class, not only because Jim was wasting his time, but Maths and him were long sworn enemies. Luckily, keeping his head down kept him out of trouble. As soon as the bell rang, Jim was out of the classroom, not listening to Sam’s exasperate calls.

As soon as Jim was in the hallway, though, he had no idea where to go. He walked through them, looking at people, but no luck. In the end, he found himself in front of the English class, and since the bell would ring soon, he decided to go in. Maybe there was someone familiar who could help him.

The moment he entered, his eyes were drawn to the left corner of the classroom, where a figure was bent over a book with headphones on. Jim smiled as he recognised Oswald, couldn’t wipe it off even as he walked to the table. He stood there, waiting for Oswald to look up at him. When he finally did, he looked confused. Not exactly the reaction Jim was hoping for.

“Did you want to ask something, Jim? If it’s about the final essay, I haven’t finished it yet.”

“What? No, I… listen, can I sit with you?”

Oswald raised his eyebrows. “I guess.”

Jim felt Oswald’s eyes on him and blushed, as if he was doing something suspicious. He was checking his backpack for the notebook, racking his brain for something to say before Oswald pulled back the headphones and shut down the world around him again.

“So, uh, how are you?”

“Okay, I guess,” Oswald replied, still looking at him strangely. “You?”

“Yeah, yeah, good. I just didn’t realise we were so close to prom. You going?”

“I got a ticket.”

Gosh, Oswald was not making it easy. Jim rubbed his nape. “Um, do you already have your suit? Because mine’s not ready yet, and wondering if it’s okay showing up in a potato sack.”

That sentence, however a lame attempt at flirtation, was received with a smile by Oswald. A tiny upwards move of his lips, but still a smile. “Yeah, it’s just a black suit. And a bowtie.”

“What colour?”

Oswald looked in his eyes, then away. “Blue.”

“Ah cool, cool. I don’t know what to get yet.”

Jim didn’t have to think of anything else to say since their teacher arrived in a rush. Some people read out their homework, then the teacher said they would continue their discussion on  _ Lord of the Flies _ . Jim panicked, he looked in his backpack, but he must have left his copy at home.

“Here,” Oswald whispered, and pushed his book to the middle, so Jim could see. The way they had to bend over the small book, their shoulders touched. Jim blushed, but he didn’t move, and after a while Oswald stopped fidgeting too.

When class was over, Jim waited for Oswald and walked with him towards the cafeteria.

“I have a theory about the novel,” Jim said, and Oswald looked at him from the corner of his eyes. “What if their airplane crashed in the middle of a mushroom jungle? You know the psychedelic type.”

Oswald snorted, which Jim took as a positive sign.

“I mean, think about it. They all hallucinate this beasty they keep talking about, and they speak in that shell thing-”

“The conch,” Oswald corrected him.

“Yes, conch. I mean, who does that? Those boys were high as a kite.”

“You should submit that theory to the New York Times.”

Oswald was smiling for the first time, a real smile, and Jim felt proud.

“Hey, want to have lunch together? I mean unless you’re busy.” Jim had a strong deja vu moment, especially the way Oswald’s eyes widened. The smile was more cautious now, though, but Oswald accepted.

They both got a tuna sandwich and something to drink, then tried to find an empty table. As they were looking round, a voice rang out.

“Jimster! Hey, we’re here.”

Jim looked in the direction of the voice. It was Jenny, waving at him madly, and his other buddies were watching him expectantly. He looked back at Oswald who had a blank expression, though Jim could see the resignation in his eyes. He then looked at the other kids, whose faces started showing signs of confusion.

Oswald sighed. “Just go.”

“I’ll see you later.”

“Whatever.”

It physically hurt to go in a different direction, but if Jim didn’t want drama, he had to join his friends for at least half an hour. They exclaimed when he finally got there, and he smiled, but sat quietly, listening to the shallow things they were talking about. One of the guys was planning on sneaking in booze for prom, and that started all kinds of discussions, like pranking the headmaster or students they didn’t like.

“You need to show it to that guy Oddwald Crazypot. God, he gives me the creeps.”

Everyone agreed, and Jim looked at Adam, the guy who proposed the idea, with horror.

“What, Gordon? I know you two know each other, but geez.”

“He’s just shy!” Jim exclaimed, and the others burst out laughing.

Tommy patted Jim’s shoulder. “Dude, you’re too nice. My bro knows this guy who works in Arkham, and he said Cobblepot’s mother is there.”

“Someone said he’s gay!”

“Yeah, I heard he keeps snakes and frogs-”

“You’re all mad.” Jim shook his head and got up to leave. One of those rumours was probably true, but Jim was not going to discuss it with his stupid friends.

“Hey, wait for me,” Jenny called out and Jim slowed his steps until she caught up with him. 

Jim tried to think back about their relationship. He didn’t recall them being together at any point in high school, so at least he wouldn’t have to pretend to be lovey-dovey with her. In fact, Jim seemed to remember something about Jenny having a crush on Tommy, but of course that guy was way too thick, and never asked her out. So somehow Jim and Jenny ended up agreeing to go to prom together out of convenience. It suited both of them just fine.

“Hey, you grumpy old man! What’s up?”

Jim shrugged. It wasn’t like he could tell this teenage girl about how he was actually a thirty-something man who had inexplicably time travelled, because he wanted to redo prom for his best friend, for whom he had romantic feelings.

“Just forget about the guys, they’re talking shit.”

“Yeah, they are.” Jim smiled. “So, excited about prom?”

“Well, guess it will be fun. A night to say goodbye to all the crap in high school.”

Jim remembered that broken smile. Jenny always looked like that when Tommy would flirt with another girl, and she tried to look unaffected. It was the same smile Jim had when the guys said something vaguely insulting about Oswald, and Jim had to pretend to be unbothered. No wonder the two often had gravitated towards each other.

“I know you cannot control who you fall in love with, but as you said, you can leave it all behind. You’re going to go off to college, and have so many new experiences that these times will feel insignificant. A grain of sand in the dessert.”

“Wow, that was very philosophic,” Jenny said, and Jim blushed.

It wasn’t the kind of thing he’d usually say - or anything that a teenager would say - so he had to be careful. But Jenny seemed comforted, bumping her shoulder amicably against Jim’s. 

The hours passed slowly, and Jim didn’t get to see Oswald. However, he had time until his mom would come home, so Jim thought he’d check the library, in case Oswald went to study there. It was a long shot, given that there was nothing to study for, but he knew it was one of Oswald’s favourite places.

Indeed, Jim found Oswald in a nook by a window on the second floor, where no one could see him unless they knew the place.

“There you are.”

“Shhh,” Oswald shushed him, not even looking up from his book.

“No one’s here,” Jim said.

“Doesn’t mean you have to scream,” Oswald whispered, and Jim rolled his eyes with fondness, tapping Oswald’s knees lightly as he made space in the nook for himself.

“Space hogger.”

“Says the guy who came here uninvited.”

Jim smiled. “It’s a  _ public _ library.”

“I don’t see you very often around here, though.”

“The silence here can be a bit too much.” Jim couldn’t reveal that actually the distraction here was Oswald, he remembered he would sneak looks at Oswald, none of the text he read sticking in his mind.

“Okay, so why are you here then? Didn’t you want to hang out with your friends?”

Jim raised an eyebrow. “I  _ am _ hanging out with a friend.”

Oswald looked a bit taken aback, and hid behind his book again. “I thought…”

“Yeah?”

Oswald shook his head, looking out the window. “Never mind. Forget it.”

“No, tell me.”

“It’s just…”

Jim could see that there was a lot going on in Oswald, but he held back, pressed his lips together as if he were afraid that the words might just tumble out if he wasn’t careful. Jim patted his knee. “Hey, you know you can tell me stuff.”

“No, I don’t know, Jim. We haven’t really talked lately.”

Jim looked down, away from those pretty eyes. There was no accusation behind them, just confusion and maybe some hurt. How could he explain without freaking Oswald out?

“I know, I’ve been a pretty crap friend. I don’t have a good excuse, except that I’m a shitty person.”

Jim remembered Oswald , the adult version at least, didn’t like swear words. “Damn, sorry about the cussing. Shit. I mean-”

“S’okay. You’re not, though.”

“Hm?”

“A shitty person.”

Jim grimaced, thinking about all the awful things he’d done in his life. Pretending he wasn’t Oswald’s friend ranked pretty high on there. “Eh, the jury’s still out on it.”

“You’re not.”

“Will you forgive me then?”

There was a stretch of silence, and Jim could feel his eyes getting watery.

“You can be so silly, James. Of course I’ll forgive you.”

_ James _ .

He had to smile at that, though Jim quickly wiped his eyes. Even as an adult, Oswald loved to call him James, especially with a certain affectionate cadence, when he just pretended that he was cross with Jim. But now Jim knew everything would be alright, because Oswald had used that tone. He smiled, feeling unburdened finally. 

“Wanna go get some ice cream? My treat.”

Later, when Jim was in his mom’s car, he listened to her tell him a story about a customer who didn’t know what he wanted. He smiled to himself, overtaken by a deep fondness for her. As a teenager, he never really noticed just how much she was doing for them, and as an adult, he felt like he never had enough time to appreciate her.

“So how was your last day, honey? Anything fun happened?”

“Not really. Well, I talked to Oswald,” Jim said, trying to keep a neutral expression, especially as he could feel his mom’s eyes on him.

“Oh yeah? How has he been lately?”

“I guess okay… I feared…” Jim shook his head.

“What did you want to say, Jim?”

“I was afraid he wasn’t going to talk to me. I kind of ignored him before.”

“But you talked today. Or did it not go well?”

Jim sighed. “No no, it did. He’s nice.”

“You know, Oswald’s mom and I wondered what happened between you two. At some point, you were joined at the hip. Every weekend, he was with us or you went over to his place. And then…”

“Then I became an asshole.”

“Jim! Don’t say that.”

“It’s true.”

“Listen, you made up, right? It might be awkward for a little while, but you’re both older now. You’re going to laugh it off one day.”

Jim smiled, and thought about his adult life, how Oswald and him just clicked the moment they met again. Hopefully, if he didn’t succeed this time, he would still have that comfortable friendship… and maybe he’d gain enough courage to ask Oswald out one day.

“Did you ask Jenny about the colour of her dress?”

“Uhhh,” Jim panicked for a moment. He had clearly not. “Blue.”

He hoped he would not get in trouble.

* * *

The next day the students only went in for two periods. There was no studying, just talking and signing each other’s yearbooks, promises to keep in touch. Everyone was buzzing about prom, about dresses and hairstyles, and whispers about kissing their crush.

Jim enjoyed it, soaked in the rampant energy in the air, though there was also a timer hanging above his head. He couldn’t be sure, but he had a feeling that he was only granted this one chance of redoing prom for Oswald until the end of the night.

No pressure, no pressure… 

As he walked home from school, Jim raked his brain for any snippets of memories from prom. It was just random moments, laughing with the guys and taking silly pictures outside with Sam’s Polaroid, holding Jenny as she cried her heart out…

Jim paused. Why had Jenny cried at their prom? Based on previous experience, it had to be something related to Tommy. He probably said something or kissed some girl, thus hurting Jenny on a night that was supposed to be fun. And by comforting her, Jim was not there to prevent the pranks the guys pulled on Oswald…

Although vague, Jim had an action plan. He would have to keep Tommy as far away from Jenny as possible, while also keeping an eye on Oswald. It shouldn’t be too hard, right?

The hours passed agonizingly slowly, Jim walking in circles. What if he messed up? Would he have to go through all those years again without knowing anything about Oswald? Would they meet on the stairs of City Hall again? Would Oswald smile like that again at him? Or would this alternate universe turn out differently, darker and colder? 

Maybe he’d just be flung back to his adulthood, waking up with the mother of all hangovers in Oswald’s armchair. And then he’d tell Oswald about his strange and detailed dream, and they both laugh about it, but die a bit on the inside that it wasn’t really true.

Jim sighed, wiping his palms against his shorts. He couldn’t be a coward, not now.

Slowly, he decided to get ready. He showered and washed his hair, then shaved the barely visible stubble on his chin. His hair was shaggy, he normally wore it like that, but for tonight, Jim tried to tame it and combed it back into something more elegant. It was bizarre staring at his younger self, a face that was so familiar and yet long forgotten. No wrinkles, no bags under his eyes, no worries. The one thing he did have, was a painful zit on his chin. Oh well.

His suit was already laid out in his room, and Jim emptied his mind as he put on the pieces one by one. He huffed as he picked up the bow tie. He never learned how to tie it. Jim guessed it should have been something his father had taught him… 

“Mom!” 

How lucky he was to still be able to ask for her help. Jim went downstairs, stopping a few steps away as his mom clasped her hands and looked at him with watery eyes.

“What’s wrong?”

His mom smiled. “Nothing, my little boy is just grown into a man.”

“ _ Mooom _ .” 

“But he can’t do his own bow tie,” Roger quipped from the sofa, his mouth full of chips, but everyone else ignored him.

“Shut up, Roge.”

His mom waved him closer, taking the bow tie from his hand and tying it easily. “There, all done. Wait, don’t move, let me get the camera.”

Jim remembered the prom pic which was still in his mom’s house, displayed in a prominent place. He hoped his smile was less awkward in this one than the old picture. At his mom’s insistence, Roger also took a picture of Jim and his mom. By then, it was almost seven, and the car they rented showed up.

Jim’s mom kissed his cheek and told him to be home… at some point and to call if he needed anything. Before Jim could leave, Roger called him aside in the hallway.

“Here,” he said, passing a fifty dollar bill to Jim with a wink. “If you want to take your date somewhere nice after.”

Jim looked up, surprised. He was pretty sure this didn’t happen the first time. “Thanks, Roge.”

His brother patted his shoulder, then leaned in. “Don’t forget to use protection.”

“Oh my god, go away!” Jim hit his shoulder while Roger was laughing his head off, only narrowingly missing a hair ruffling. “Dude, I put gel on it, don’t mess it up!”

“Fine, fine, you’re getting away tonight. Have fun!”

Jim waved and then got in the car, giving Jenny’s address to the driver.

  
  


“Blue, huh?” Was the first thing Jenny said when she saw Jim. “Tsk, boys, they never understand there are other colours in this world too.”

Luckily, Jenny was wearing an indigo dress, so the difference wasn’t too obvious. She looked absolutely stunning, the colour complimenting her dark skin. She even had a matching flower in her curly hair. They posed patiently while Jenny’s parents took a million pictures, then they were finally on their way to the school.

The music could be heard from outside and Jim wondered how did their strict principal allow it to be so loud. There were fairy lights strewn over the entrance, their soft orange glow making the place inviting.

"Not bad," Jenny said, echoing Jim's thoughts, and they walked in. 

The school's sports hall was completely transformed - there were even more fairy lights here, multicoloured, giving the room an intimate atmosphere. There were a lot of people milling about, some dancing, others talking in quiet corners or waiting for their turn to get punch.

"Hey, do you mind if I say hi to Sylvia and Rob?" Jenny asked, pointing to her friends. 

"No, of course not. I'll have a look around." Jim had been scanning the crowd, but had no luck finding Oswald yet. 

Even though the music was loud, Jim still heard the shrill laughter of his friends over it. He tried to dodge them, but Sam noticed him, and tried to drag him over. 

“Sorry, I'm looking for Jenny," he lied to them so he could get away, not caring about their protests. 

Jim continued his quest, winding through the students who were busy talking and dancing, not caring about a guy who rudely tried to make his way between them. Frustrated by the crowd, Jim sighed with relief when he finally found Oswald in a corner, sipping from a red cup. 

"There you are!" 

"Jim." 

Oswald had a huge grin on his face, watching Jim as if he had just appeared of thin air. Was he not expecting to see him?

"Hiding, are you?” Jim teased, and he thought he saw Oswald blush, even in the low lighting.

“I’m not fond of crowds… not really fond of parties either. If my mother hadn’t forced me, maybe I wouldn’t have come at all.”

Jim laughed. This was so Oswald. Even as an adult, he hated all the official events, bore them with a tight smile, and was gone at the first opportunity.

“Hey, prom happens only once. Maybe it will be fun this time.”

“This time? How many proms have you been to, Jim?”

Jim’s eyes widened. Oops. “I mean, you know, in general. You’ve been to crappy parties, but this one will be better.”

“Doubt it, but we shall see.”

“Prom offers something that no other party does,” Jim said as he smirked. “The chance to observe your teachers make fools of themselves.”

They both looked at their History and Science teachers dancing in a way that Jim thought it was illegally bad. Mr. Henley then did something with his hips, and Oswald groaned, covering his eyes, laughter shaking his shoulders. “Oh my god, I need bleach for my eyes.”

Jim was equally horrified, but somehow couldn’t look away, laughing even harder when Ms. Cruz joined in, albeit she was a lot more graceful than the History teacher. 

“Oh no, it’s getting worse!” He put his hands around Oswald’s eyes, both laughing even harder, especially when Oswald tried to pry Jim’s fingers open so he could have another look.

Jenny found them in a pile of laughter, watching them with an amused expression. Jim only noticed her when Oswald stilled under his hands, suddenly sobering up. Jim let go, but not because he felt as if he had been caught, but because he could feel Oswald’s discomfort. He had an inkling about the root of the problem, but wasn’t sure how to bring it up without being obvious

“Hey, Oswald.”

“Hi, Jenny.” Based on his clipped tone, he definitely didn’t understand that Jenny’s amicability was genuine.

“Did you see that awful dance?” Jim asked, trying to find a topic that would ease Oswald’s nerves.

“Oh yeah. Blackmail material for sure.”

“Oswald went blind,” Jim said and looked at his friend, but the boy didn’t seem like he wanted to join the conversation.

“Oh, Oswald, they are like the Sun, you can’t look at them directly.” Jenny said that with the utmost seriosity, so even Oswald had to crack a smile at that.

“Can’t be worse than accidentally walking in on the principal making out with the secretary.”

“What? Oh my god, you have to tell me everything!” Jenny hooked her arm through Oswald’s, and dragged him away, Jim all but forgotten.

Oswald threw a look back at him over his shoulder, as if inviting him to follow them, and Jim did, listening on, scraps of words barely reaching him over the music and noise, Oswald telling it like a great adventure story, and Jenny listening with complete rapture.

Jim managed to get close to them as they reached the table with punch and finger food, where Jenny poured him a cup without even taking her eyes off Oswald. 

“There they were, sprawled across the desk, luckily for my eyes, still clothed, but their hands were in places they shouldn’t have been.”

“And that’s how you lost your innocence.” Jenny nodded solemnly, then they broke out laughing.

Jim watched, fascinated. The conversation was flowing easily now, as they each told funny stories from their school life, and ridiculous rumours whispered in the school hallways. Jim laughed, though his chest felt tight too. He wished he had spent more time with these two, instead of trying to impress some guys he didn’t even like. He wished he hadn’t kept Jenny and Oswald apart, put them in two different compartments of his life, when essentially they were the only two people who knew the real Jim.

“Gotta go ‘powder my nose,’ or whatever it is ladies say in polite society,” Jenny said, and left, leaving Jim and Oswald alone.

They looked at each other, and smiled awkwardly. It was as if Jenny had been the common friend, the common ground between them, and now that she was gone, they suddenly didn’t know how to talk to each other. Jim decided to try some of the snacks, just so he would have something to do.

“Jenny, she’s… so funny. I never knew she had such a great sense of humour.”

“Yeah, she’s great.”

“Yeah, uh… you chose a great girlfriend.”

Jim stopped chewing, staring at Oswald who wouldn’t look at him. There it was. Jim swallowed, then had a sip of his drink. “She’s not my girlfriend.”

Oswald looked up. “But I thought… you came together, no?”

“Yeah, but we’re not together. We’re just good friends. Um… Jenny hoped her crush would ask her out, but when he chose a different girl, we decided to just go together. Seemed like a good plan.”

“Oh, yeah, of course,” Oswald nodded eagerly. “Whoever the other guy is, he’s missing out.”

“Trust me, he’s not worth it,” Jim assured Oswald. “Did you come with anyone?”

“No, I’m not Mister Popularity like some.”

“Hey!”

“It’s okay, Jim, someone has to carry the burden,” Oswald teased.

Jim punched Oswald’s arm playfully in retaliation.

“So who’s going to ask me to dance?” Jenny interrupted them.

Both boys looked at her, then at each other. 

“You go.”

“No, you can go.”

“You go first, Jim,” Oswald insisted with an easy smile. “You came with Jenny after all.”

Jim smiled as he took Jenny’s hand and led her to the dance floor, where couples were already swaying to the soft song. 

“So, you and Oswald,” Jenny said quietly, and Jim didn’t want to blush, but her gaze was so gentle and honest, that he couldn’t help it.

“It’s not-” He didn’t know what to say. Not serious? Not real? Not possible?

Jenny held his hand tighter. “Jim, you don’t have to hide. Not from me.”

Jim nodded. She was right, especially since he was just a visitor in this universe. This particular branch of possibility might just dry up after midnight if he failed his mission, but maybe in the infinite versions that existed of himself in the multiverse, at least one version of him managed to patch things up with Oswald.

“How did you?”

The girl shrugged. “The way you look at him…wow. I wonder how I never noticed it before. Oh, and then when I saw you two standing next to each other, the two blue bow ties.”

“Yeah… I think I always liked him,” Jim confessed, his face turned away.

“I can see why.” Jim risked a glance at Jenny, and they smiled at each other. “He likes you too, you know.”

Jim swallowed, looking away, his eyes meeting Oswald’s across the room. Their gazes stayed locked, something magnetic between them, and Jim’s heart leapt with excitement.

“Maybe.”

“You have to say something, Jim. Don’t wait for a sign or anything. Tell him tonight.”

There was an urgency in Jenny’s voice that stunned Jim, a pain and understanding, and he nodded, promised to do it if his life depended on it.

The dance ended, and Oswald was there to take over. Jim retreated to the wall, watching them. Oswald looked as if he knew every step, his posture immaculate, his smile undeterred. He and Jenny swept the dancefloor, and Jim could swear he could hear their combined laughter. God, Oswald was beautiful and Jim had been a fool.

“Jimster, you let that creep steal your girlfriend?”

Jim rolled his eyes as someone grabbed his shoulder.

“No one is stealing anything, and Jenny is not my girlfriend.”

Sam, Tommy and two other guys came into view, their faces exhibiting various stages of mockery and malice. Jim clenched his fists by his side, tension making his back taut.

“Is Crazypot your new girlfriend?”

“I’m not even going to answer that,” Jim gritted through his teeth, eyes searching Oswald and Jenny in the crowd.

“Because it’s true?” Sam quipped, the others howling with laughter.

“Zip it, tough guy.”

“Oooh!”

Tommy took a step closer, pointing at Jim with his index finger. “I don’t know what got into you, Gordon, but stay away from Jenny.”

“Why? She doesn’t belong to you!” Jim spat.

“You fucking-”

“What’s going on here?!” Jenny and Oswald had made it back, and were glaring at the guys who had Jim surrounded. 

Tommy grabbed Jenny’s wrist and pulled her towards him. “Let’s go, Jenny. Jim decided to join the freaks.”

“Get your hands off of her!”

Jim lurched towards Tommy, but two of the guys held him back by his arms, and pushed him back with such force that Jim lost his balance and fell. This was the catalyst of several events which happened in rapid succession: Jenny pulled her arm free and slapped Tommy, while Oswald seemed to be propelled by rage as he pounced on the guys who had pushed Jim. Oswald wasn’t a big guy, but he had surprised the two boys, and had somehow pushed both of them to the ground with a loud screech.

“I had no idea you had this in you,” Jim said as he offered his hand to Oswald and helped him up, grinning at him from ear to ear.

“Me neither.”

They hurried to Jenny’s side, but she had everything under control - Tommy was on his knees, his arm turned backwards in Jenny’s death grip.

“Don’t you ever touch me like that or I’ll break your hand!”

Jim and Oswald looked at each other with wide eyes. Well, no one was ever going to mess with this girl. Jim would have loved to watch these assholes cry like little babies, but he noticed the principal throwing people left and right as he tried to get to them.

“Oh shit, principal's coming this way! Let’s go!”

Jenny grabbed his hand and Jim reached for Oswald’s, the three of them running through the thick wall of people, saying sorry left and right as they had to make their way with the help of their elbows to escape. 

“Stop! You little rats, you -” That was all Jim managed to hear from the principal’s rant over the music, and he quickened his pace.

Jenny managed to get them out of the building, but they still ran hand in hand, and when Jim looked back at Oswald, he was laughing, as if this was the best adventure of his life. It seemed like everything was possible on this summer evening, and Jim smiled at the starry sky when they finally stopped to catch their breath.

“Wanna go to the diner? It’s not far from here,” Oswald suggested, because he too, didn’t want the night to end.

Jim and Jenny nodded enthusiastically, and they crossed the street to the well-lit, all night diner. The place was quite packed with students, but Jenny noticed her friends, Sylvia and Rob and another girl Jim didn’t recognise, sitting in a booth, and dragged them there. They ended up sitting squashed together, but Jim didn’t mind. He shucked off his suit jacket, and smiled at Oswald as he leaned back against the seat, their shoulders brushing.

They all seemed to be famished, so they ordered burgers, fries and milkshakes. They told the other guys the story of how they kicked ass and managed to escape the principal, who screamed all kinds of things behind them, but was unable to keep up.

“Hope we don’t get into trouble,” Jim said, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Pfft, what can he do to us? We graduated.” Oswald grinned.

“Yeah, we’re free of his tyranny,” Jenny chimed in, and they all cheered with their milkshakes at that.

Jim nodded, and hoped that this feeling, this mix of courage, unlimited possibilities and pure joy, would never desert him. It felt good to break free from his shackles, something that had always stayed with him in his adult life, preventing him from speaking his mind and face his feelings.

But tonight would be different. It  _ was _ already different. If nothing else, at least he had prevented two people having a crap prom.

The food was brought out soon, so they were busy stuffing their faces. Slowly, the adrenaline trickled out of Jim, and he let his thigh touch Oswald’s, just for a couple of seconds. Seeing that there was no flinch from the other boy, Jim moved his leg closer. After a second, he could have sworn that Oswald moved his own leg closer as well, but there was no outward sign when Jim sneaked a glance at him.

A shot of impishness shot through Jim that made him steal fries from Oswald’s plate, grinning with the ends of the fries sticking out from between his teeth when Oswald caught him.

“Hey, you have your own fries!”

“Yeah, but stolen ones taste better.”

“Oh really?” Oswald swiped two from Jim’s plate, and stuffed them in his mouth before Jim could even protest. “You’re absolutely right, these are delicious!”

Their silly banter continued for a few more minutes, until laughter from around them made them stop. They were so busy with each other, they had forgotten about their company. Jenny was looking at them with a knowing look which made Jim blush instantly.

“So… did you guys wear matching bow ties on purpose?” one of Jenny’s friends asked.

Jim panicked, wiping his mouth with a napkin, while Oswald just turned to him with a surprised expression. He had only realised now that Jim also had a dark blue one, and he smiled while also frowning.

“Pure coincidence,” Jim said with a chuckle that he hoped didn’t sound fake.

“It’s kinda cute,” Sylvia commented, and Jenny hurried to agree too.

“He always copies me,” Oswald said, pointing his thumb at Jim with a faux grimace. “Homework and everything.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jim rolled his eyes, but couldn’t fight his smile.

Luckily, the attention shifted from them, and the tension seeped out from Jim’s shoulders. However, Oswald still threw him looks, but they were more inquisitive than anything else, so it was still okay. They were okay.

“Hey, we’re thinking of driving to this club for the rest of the night. Do you guys want to come?” Jenny asked Jim and Oswald.

The boys looked at each other, though they both knew the answer.

“Nah, it’s okay. Not really into that. But you guys should go, I’m sure you’ll have fun.”

“Okay, I’ll see you around then.”

Jim and Oswald watched them pay and file into a car, Jenny waving at them from the backseat. They waved back and then just sat in silence. Even though there was a lot of space in the booth now, neither of them moved.

“I don’t feel like going home yet. I don’t want this night to end,” Oswald said, not quite looking at Jim.

“Me neither. Wanna go for a walk?”

Oswald nodded eagerly. Jim insisted he pay - he got the money from Roger, after all, although he did not repeat to Oswald what his brother had said - and then they were off. Jim didn’t have a particular destination in mind, they just walked wherever away from the lights of the city centre.

“So, have you decided where to study further?”

Jim was surprised that Oswald didn’t know - he had received his acceptance letter to the Police Academy a while ago. But of course, teenager Jim had been a coward and put that distance between them.

“I got accepted to the Police Academy.”

“Oh really? Congrats, Jim, that’s amazing!” Oswald patted Jim’s arm.

It had been one of the few good decisions Jim had made in his life, so he definitely didn’t want to change that aspect.

“What about you? I bet you got a ton of letters.”

Oswald’s smile disappeared, and he looked down, murmuring. “I… I’m just going to stay here. Umm, night classes or something.”

“But you were accepted to other places?”

Oswald nodded reluctantly, kicking a pebble in his way. “Can’t leave my mother alone. She has her bad days.”

They walked silently for a little while. Jim felt the salty sea breeze on his face, their steps turning in that direction.

“You know you don’t need a fancy university, right? You’re the smartest person I know, so I’m sure whatever plans you have for the future, they will work out.”

Oswald’s lips moved a tiny bit upwards. “Thanks, Jim. I just… it feels like everyone will be off soon, like I’ll be the only one left here. And you guys will only return for weekends, and then only big holidays, and after that Christmas every five years.”

“Hey, if you’re insinuating that I’m going to forget about you, there’s no chance.” Jim put his arm around Oswald’s shoulder. “You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

Oswald smiled up at Jim. “Good to know.”

Jim kept his arm around Oswald’s shoulder as they walked onto the shore, and found a good spot to sit. It was a beautiful night, clear and warm, and a crescent Moon shone down on them. It was quiet, except for the waves slowly lapping at the shore, so soothing that Jim could have fallen asleep in the soft cradle of sand.

There was just one worry in this perfect nightscape, and that was the melancholic look in Oswald’s eyes. Jim had let go of him when they sat in the sand, and as hard as he wanted to take Oswald’s hand, he didn’t know how to do it. By the soft silver moonlight, he managed to see on his watch that it was twenty to midnight. Maybe this whole thing would vanish at midnight.

Although Jim had managed to accomplish his goal and to save Oswald from an awful night, now he wanted more for both of them. He messed up the first time, clearly that’s why he was given another chance to build a better life for both of them. And though it seemed insane that the rest of their existence would depend on less than twenty minutes, Jim had to try.

“Our matching bow ties are not a coincidence,” Jim blurted out, admiring the light reflected on the crest of the waves.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I asked what colour you’d wear and I got the same. I... I wanted to go with you to prom.”

There was no reaction from Oswald, so Jim looked up at the stars, told his tears to stay away, to stay strong for just a moment longer.

“The colour I chose was no coincidence either,” Oswald confessed, voice barely a whisper.

Jim didn’t dare to hope, didn’t want to build his hopes and then to fall into nothingness when they were inevitably broken. But Oswald placed his hand on Jim’s, and his pulse rose as he turned towards his friend.

“Blue always reminds me of you,” Oswald said and he reached out, thumb caressing Jim’s cheek. There was a bit of sand on the pad of his digit, and Jim felt it against his cheek, but he didn’t care, he leaned into the touch.

They kissed there, under the silver Moon, and Jim let his tears fall. Oswald didn’t say anything, kissed them away with the most delicate touches of his lips, and smiled at Jim as if he were the best thing in the world. Jim did the same, and held on tight as the night washed over them.

* * *

Jim opened his eyes lazily. It was light in the room, but he didn’t want to get up. He felt content and warm, and surprisingly, his head didn’t hurt at all. 

He gradually became aware of someone cuddling his right side, and Jim’s eyebrows shot upwards when he saw a mop of black hair, which had to belong to Oswald. It was then that he realised the room was not his old one from adulthood, nor his childhood bedroom. But through some magic, he was back in his adult form.

Did he… did he return to the old life and had a drunken hook-up with Oswald? Oh fuck, that was just terrible. What a mess.

Jim rubbed his eye with his left hand, and noticed something glinting in the sunlight. He was wearing a gold band on his ring finger. He set up a bit, heart racing. He was married?

The figure on his chest stirred, and Oswald looked at him sleepily, but broke out in a smile when his eyes focused on Jim. “Morning,” he whispered, and stroked Jim’s side. “You’re up early.”

“Yeah, yeah, I had a weird dream,” Jim said slowly, while he tried to have a peek at Oswald’s left hand.

There was a matching gold ring on it.

“Hmm? What was it about?”

“That I didn’t have the guts to ask you on a date.”

“Yeah, because I’m so scary.” Oswald laughed, changing positions so he was now lying on his side and looking down at Jim with an amused expression.

“You can be,” Jim said with a mischievous smile, and put his arms around Oswald.

Their lips met in a kiss so magnificent, that Jim forgot about the weird other life. Or dream, whatever it was. He was in the present, kissing his favourite person in the world, and nothing else mattered.


End file.
